GILFORD - Therese (O'Mara) Poire-Bedard, 88, of 10 Nature's View Drive passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at St. Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Laconia with her husband and family by her side.
Therese was the youngest of the fourteen children born to the late Thomas and Josephine (Lafreniere) O'Mara on February 21, 1928. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of almost 49 years, Leo (Joe) Poire in 1998, her thirteen brothers and sisters and her daughter, Jane E. Babin in 2015.
After graduating from Laconia High School in 1946, Therese worked as the secretary to the president of Guild Mills leaving that profession in 1950 to begin raising her family of six children with her husband, Joe. During those years she was an active participant in her church , St. Joseph Church in Laconia, and as a parent of six St. John School students. Therese considered her most important work to be raising her children to be loving members of a large extended family, good citizens in their community and active participants in the Catholic Church.
God gave her the gift of a beautiful soprano voice and she used it to enhance many family celebrations and church musicals. God has silenced that voice here on earth but not in the hearts and minds of those who loved her.
She began her second career working for the State of New Hampshire Division of Health and Human Services after her children were grown, retiring in 1990 after twenty-five years of service.
Following the death of her first husband, Joe, in 1998, she found love again in 2005 when she married Armand W. Bedard at St. Joseph Church. They enjoyed over ten years of happiness together.
Therese is survived by her husband , Armand Bedard of Laconia, her five children; Marie Leahy and her husband Richard of Laconia, Patrick J. Poire and his wife Linda of Sandwich, Ma., Joseph J. Poire and his wife Cindy of Santa Barbara, Ca., Cynthia J. Poire Mathews and her husband Philip of Campton and Michael L. Poire of Corpus Christi, TX, her two step-children; Nina Hamberger and her husband Carl and Philip Bedard of Gilford as well as grandchildren Jennifer and Jonathan Leahy, Christopher Poire, Erin Florek, Natalie and Nicholas Poire, Christian Babin and step-grandchildren Alyssa and Kaitlin Hamberger and Josh, Jessica and Evan Bedard, several great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be held from 4 Pm to 7 Pm on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia using the Carriage House entrance.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 Am on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at St. Andre Bessette Parish- St. Joseph Church 30 Church Street, Laconia.
Burial will be held at St. Lambert Cemetery in Laconia in the spring.
For those who wish, memorial contributions may be sent to St. Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center-Recreation Fund, 406 Court Street, Laconia, N.H. 03246 or to the Holy Trinity Endowment Trust, C/O St. Joseph Church , 30 Church St., Laconia, NH 03246.
Wilkinson-Beane-Paquette-Simoneau Funeral Home & Cremation Services 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH is assisting the family with the arrangements.